Other tweaks coming to the new user experience

Sep 30, 2015 09:24 GMT  ·  By

The team at Microsoft in charge of adding new features to the Xbox One is announcing that the home console and the associated app available on Windows 10 will get access to 12 person Party Chat during the course of the day.

The changes will be entirely linked to the server side of the platforms, and it seems that the feature will not be applied on mobile devices or on the Xbox 360.

Gamers who are part of the Xbox One New Experience Preview program will also get access to a number of other changes that improve functionality and add another social dimension.

There are new options added in the party text chat, with a special button designed to show communication at the button of Your Party page.

The Game DVR experience for the Xbox One is also getting an update, with an official update on the Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson, blog stating, "We have combined the functionality of the Game DVR snap app and the former Upload app into one easy-to-use app called Game DVR. In full-screen mode, you can use this app to view your game clips and screenshot captures. When snapped, you can use Game DVR to start or stop recordings."

The new Xbox One user experience is set to arrive this year

Microsoft is also adding animated avatars, initially in the official player profile, but also in other areas of the interface, and the menus are being updated for faster access to some common actions.

The Guide also introduces more options, including one to restart the console.

Microsoft has been saying that it is testing the major new features with a limited group of gamers and that it plans to make the entire update available for all Xbox One users before the end of the year, probably in late October.

At the same time the company aims to deliver the long-awaited backwards compatibility feature, which allows gamers to play select titles from the Xbox 360.

Microsoft believes that the improvements, coupled with the range of newly announced bundles and major exclusives like Halo 5: Guardians, will allow its device to improve its sales and surpass the rival PlayStation 4 from Sony.